Were you aware that Spreadsheets have a limit of 2,000,000 cells per Spreadsheet? This means that if you have a lot of data, you might run into problems. Tables in Wdata, and the Data Management Suite (DMS) as a whole is a great solution to avoid running into this Spreadsheet limitation!

At first, the number “two million” may sound like a large number of cells. However, it’s important to note that this allotment of 2,000,000 cells is spread across all Sheets within the Spreadsheet. Additionally, any cells that have been used in the past also contribute to the total count of 2,000,000. So, what does this mean? It means that you may reach this limitation sooner than you think. Now, let’s look closer at both of these factors and explore one specific area where DMS truly excels.

Spreadsheet Cell Allotment: Your Spreadsheet can contain anywhere from 1 to 1,000 Sheets. Regardless of the number of Sheets, they all share the same pool of 2,000,000 cells that can be used. To illustrate, let’s say you have a Spreadsheet with 10 Sheets. If the first 9 Sheets are already filled with enough data to reach the 2,000,000 cell limit, then you won’t be able to add any more data to the 10th Sheet (or any other additional cell in any of the Sheets, for that matter).

Spreadsheet Cell History: Every used cell in the Spreadsheet retains a record of its historical values, even if you delete the current value. This means that the history of a cell remains intact. Even if a previously used cell is blank, it still counts as a used cell and subtracts 1 from the total available cells in the Spreadsheet’s 2,000,000 allotment. In other words, the presence of historical data, even if not currently visible in the cell, reduces the overall number of cells that can be utilized within the Spreadsheet.

• Tip - You can check number of cells used in File or Edit > Properties > Spreadsheet > Limits
  

It is evident that Spreadsheets are not the most suitable option for storing large volumes of data or accommodating expanding datasets. This is where DMS comes into play! The Data Management Suite, with its powerful Table functionality, provides a much more efficient and scalable solution for managing and storing large datasets.

Let’s take a closer look into Tables, which are a key component of DMS. There are two types of Tables: Fact Tables and Dimension Tables. Each Table can have a maximum of 150 columns. A Dimension Table can hold up to 2,000,000 rows, which translates to a staggering 300,000,000 cells. The chart below vividly illustrates the significant difference in cell equivalent capacity between a Spreadsheet and Dimension Table.

Fact Tables can accommodate a mind-boggling 1 billion rows, equivalent to an astounding 150,000,000,000 cells. To put this into perspective, you would need 75,000 Spreadsheets to store the same amount of data that a single Fact Table can handle. The chart below has been updated to include a Fact Table, showcasing its remarkable capabilities. At this scale, both Spreadsheet and Dimension Table cell equivalent capacities barely register on the chart.